Elevator Construction Log

12/2/97; 2.0 hrs; drilled left elevator skin to spar; dimpled spar; drilled nut plates and plates to spar; primed plate nuts and elevator horns; drilled, fluted tip ribs. 

12/4/97; 0.5 hrs; primed elevator skeleton bones. 

Whew! Proof positive that aliens DO exist! (And are busy building RV's!?) 

12/6/97; 2.0 hrs; riveted plates and plate nuts to spar; fabricated rh stiffeners for right elevator; mounted elevator jig.

 
Here is the special  Binford 2000 back-rivet set on the Binford 3X gun that is used to attach the stiffeners to the skin. 
  

12/8/97; 2.5 hrs; fabricated lh stiffeners for right elevator; drilled all stiffeners to right elevator; dimpled right elevator skin; back-riveted stiffeners to skin; formed trailing edge. 

I hate this part; Feeling your lovingly crafted control surface "crunch" in the metal bending torture device! This is how the trailing edges are formed. 

12/9/97; 3.5 hrs; fabricated stiffeners for left elevator; drilled, dimpled, and riveted stiffeners; riveted trim plate to skin. 

12/12/97; 4.0 hrs; right elevator; riveted ribs to spar; drilled skin to spar/ribs; drilled horn; deburred and dimpled ribs, spar, skin; riveted skin, horn to spar/ribs. 
 
Right elevator ready to drill skin to spar/ribs. Note the use of spring clamps. Get you a bucket of them! ($1.99 each at K-Mart.) 

Elevator horn clecoed to spar ready for drilling. 

12/13/97; 1.0 hrs; completed leading edge of right elevator;installed rod end bearings. 


Here is the highly specialized tool (want to know how to build one?) that was fabricated at great cost from scrap 1/2" PVC to insert and adjust the rod end bearings without damaging the bearing (hand not included in basic price). 


 
Bearing tool in operation. 
 
12/15/97; 1.0 hrs; riveted ribs and trailing edge spar of left elevator together; mounted skin/skeleton in jig. 

Here are the basic parts of the left elevator. 
 

12/16/97; 2.5 hrs; drilled and riveted horn to spar; drilled skin to skeleton; riveted skin to skeleton. 

12/19/97; 3.0 hrs; completed riveting skin to left elevator; formed ends of trim tab; drilled tab hinge to elevator; drilled and riveted spar to tab; drilled hinge to tab; riveted horns to tab. 

12/20/97; 1.0 hrs; riveted hinge to tab; riveted ends of tab. 

12/21/97; 1.5 hrs; riveted tab hinge to elevator; fabricated and riveted rib to close elevator at outboard end of trim tab.  

1/1/98; 2.0 hrs; formed leading edge of left elevator; mounted HS in jig; mounted right elevator;

 
 1/2/98; 3.5 hrs; mounted left elevator; drilled horns for center bearing bolt; attached fiberglass tips to HS and left elevator. Installed counterweights. 

1/3/98; 2.25 hrs; installed tip on right elevator; fabricated balsa plugs for elevator tips; installed plugs and coated with polyester resin. Elevators complete. 

Total time elevators: 34.75 hrs. 

Empennage kit complete. Total time emp kit: 93.65 hours. 

Waiting on wing kit......... 

Please submit all questions and comments to sbuc@hiwaay.net